LONG BEACH, Calif. – It was a long road to redemption for Eddie Alvarez, but after another grueling fight with Michael Chandler, he had his reward.

Alvarez recaptured the Bellator lightweight title Chandler took from him nearly two years ago, winning a bloody split decision with a pair of 48-47 scores. The win was Alvarez’s first fight back with the promotion after a controversial free agency that ultimately played out in the court system before finally settling outside of it.

The lightweight title bout was the main event of today’s Bellator 106 event at Long Beach Arena in California. It aired on Spike TV following prelims on MMAjunkie.com.

Alvarez bounced outside early, then slipped away from a wild punch from Chandler. The champion peppered his jab early and threw kicks, then tried to get inside a minute in, but couldn’t find a home for a left. Chandler fended off a takedown attempt 90 seconds in, but on the break, he showed a cut under his right eye. Chandler pushed forward and landed nicely when he was able to connect, keeping Alvarez in a counter-striking game, for the most part. With 45 seconds left in the round, Chandler caught a kick and landed a right hand, then picked Alvarez up and dumped him. He went after a rear-naked choke and nearly had it, but Alvarez popped out.

Chandler landed early in the second with a pair of rights and a left. He also was able to land three takedowns after the midway point of the round. Both fighters were cut open by that point, though Chandler was the one bleeding more. Chandler kept Alvarez pressed against the fence on the ground and was warned by referee John McCarthy to get busy. Back on the feet, a solid combination put Chandler to a knee, but he took the fight right back down.

Both fighters came out swinging in the third, and Chandler tried to take the fight down 30 seconds into the frame. But Alvarez sprawled out of it. The champ landed a good kick to the body, but his left eye looked increasingly worrisome with swelling. Alvarez tried to target Chandler’s eye, but past the midway point of the fight, the champ looked to be tiring. He continued to throw, and even scored a takedown with a minute left in the round. He went after a rear-naked choke, but wasn’t able to secure anything.

Chandler circled outside in the fourth as Alvarez tried to stalk him. But soon after, he landed a jumping knee that had Alvarez in trouble. He jabbed him from there, then on the ground nearly took his back before settling into guard. Alvarez then had his turn to bleed as Chandler tried to land ground-and-pound. With more than half the round left, it was Alvarez who was looking tired as Chandler landed elbows. Alvarez tired over, and Chandler landed more rights and more elbows. If Chandler was in trouble in the third, he turned things around in a major way in the fourth.

Chandler stayed in control in the fifth, picking up where he left off in the fourth. He was able to get Alvarez’s back with a body triangle and worked a neck crank. But the former champ got back to his feet. And there, Alvarez tried to turn it around. With Chandler up against the fence, Alvarez went after a rear-naked choke. He had it, but the champ rolled out. Seconds later, he again locked one in – and again Chandler scrambled away. With a minute left, Alvarez had Chandler locked up and bleeding. Chandler, though, was able to reverse position and got on top. With 15 seconds left, Chandler used all he had left to get one final takedown.

But when the scores were read off, it was Alvarez who had done just enough to convince two of the three judges he was the new champ. He took a pair of 48-47 scores to one 48-47 for Chandler.

“It takes two people to put a fight on like that,” Alvarez said as many in the crowd booed the decision. “It’s up to Mike, too. We did it together. It ain’t nothing to boo about. I had a feeling in my gut I was going to be the new lightweight champion.”

“It’s just another fight. I’ll get back to the drawing board and see what happens next,” Chandler said.

Alvarez (25-3 MMA, 10-1 BMMA) won for the third straight time, fighting for the first time in more than a year. Chandler (12-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) lost for the first time in his MMA career.

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